I never imitated Lata didi: Asha Bhosle

As she enters her 80th year today, Asha Bhosle talks about music, being a rebel and her debut as an actress.

Legendary singer Asha Bhosle enters her 80th year today and most people find that hard to believe given her zest for life and eagerness to do something new and most importantly, the quality of her voice. Bombay Times met Asha tai at her home when she revealed that she had no birthday plans but surely was looking ahead to a year filled with creative moments. Excerpts...

Is there a birthday plan?Nothing at all. I will be in Goa with my family. Birthday celebrations are for kids. There are times when people get a cake and insist that I cut it, but I am not much into this kind of a celebration. It’s more western. Birthdays used to be special in those days... jab maa tika karti thi, halwa, kheer puri banati thi.

What’s the secret of your vitality?Do you really think one needs a secret for that? It totally depends on one’s personality. It’s how an individual is from birth. Some people are lazy and sleep all the time, some sing all the time and and then there are people like me, who want something to do all the time. I can’t stay still, I’m always working whether it’s outside, in the kitchen, clearing the cupboards... I have to be busy all the time. I am a restless person. I am patient only while I’m singing, but the moment I’m not, my mind is constantly at work.

Going back to your childhood days, did you want to grow up to be a singer or something else?Nothing. I started singing at 10 and then I sang again at 12. And finally, a few years later, got into playback singing.

As a playback singer, did you nurse a secret desire to be an actress? Soon, you will be making your acting debut in Mai?I never thought of acting. We called our mother Mai. So when they narrated the story to me, the character was called Mai. I got emotional listening to that and my son too kept pushing me to take it up. He said, you are comfortable on the small screen, so why not give the big screen a shot too? If you don’t like it, you can always quit. That’s how I took up this film.

You’ve always had that rebellious streak in you... has that changed over the years?I have always been rebellious but that is because I’ve wanted to try out new things. My rebellion has always been positive and connected with my work. That’s how I’ve sung even in foreign languages and collaborated with international artistes. Recently, on a reality show, I asked somebody to teach me a few dance steps and people around found that funny. They wondered ‘Yeh umar mein steps seekh ke kya karengi...’ But why not? It may be of use on my show. You have to keep learning.

With age, the quality of voice tends to change. But it doesn’t seem to have in your case.Yes, with age, the height of a voice reduces and it can change. In my case, I’ve put in so much practice that fortunately, there has been no change at all.

You have constantly been compared to your sister Lata Mangeshkar. At one point, they said you lived in her shadow...Not in her shadow, but on the same taraazu. There were constant comparisons and that shouldn’t have been made. But I guess that happened because we are sisters.

So, did you consciously try to sing differently?Yes, I made a conscious effort to be different. I did not try to imitate her but preferred to be original. Asli cheez mere paas hai toh naqli kaun lega?

You hold a record in the Guinness Book for the highest number of recordings with over 12,000 songs today...Yes, it’s been a great journey. I have sung in over 20 different languages and have enjoyed the process.

What about the current crop of singers? Who do you like from among them?Jhootha sona bhi chamakta hai, lekin jab aap bechne jao toh sirf asal ka paisa milega. Real singers were people like Lata Mangeshkar, Mohd Rafi saab, Kishore Kumar, etc. Even today, we have some very good singers like Shankar Mahadevan, Shaan and KK among others. Then there’s Shreya (Ghoshal) and Sunidhi (Chauhan) who sing well, but unfortunately, they aren’t getting good songs. Nowadays, it’s Munni Badnaam Hui, Sheela.., Halkat Jawani. Where is the scope to sing here?

Would you like to say something about the recent Surkshetra controversy where MNS was unhappy with your decision to be part of the show?I just want to say that there’s going to be a match later this year between India and Pakistan. I love Sachin Tendulkar and I’m waiting to watch him play. The match is in December. Intezaar hai December ka.